Freeman Buddy Check 16: Walking Lowers Breast Cancer Risk

Freeman Buddy Check 16: Walking Lowers Breast Cancer Risk

The American Cancer Society recently discovered that walking was linked to lower breast cancer risk.

JOPLIN, MO---

Freeman Health System Wellness Coordinator Kris Drake likes to exercise with a walking buddy. "When you have a walking buddy that helps you. A walking, a running buddy, someone that you are accountable to because that makes a big difference because that gets you out there together," says Drake.

According to the American Cancer Society, walking can help reduce the risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal women."One hour a day, seven days a week seemed to be the magic number that just helped them to reduce their risks."

If you don't have time to do that all at once, Drake says you can break that time up."As long as they get ten minutes at a time, then we do see that walking for ten minutes at a total of an hour is fine."

Drake recommends moderate walking at a brisk pace."If they engage in other vigorous activity, those risks can be reduced even more."

Those activities include running, jogging, biking and aerobic activity."Exercise helps to regulate hormones such as estrogen and insulin, both of which have a factor on breast cancer cell growth."

The study was conducted with more than 70,000 post-menopausal women. The lower breast cancer risks were found regardless of whether the women were overweight, obese or gained weight during the study.

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